Bringing Up Baby - U gonna watch ? (Healthwarning)

[Guard]

Lots of chat about this last week - at the risk of being controversial I'd like to ask the question should we watch. On the one hand horrible (how could anyone let their newborn have cameras all over their house...) on the other hand interesting to see all these diverse ideas.
And just in case - here is the healthwarning as this is a genuine question for me ? Do we watch reality TV like this (and hence encourage it) or do we vote with our feet ?

Dr Sears calls colic "fourth trimester crying" and I found that to be totally true, in that ds3 who was 8 weeks prem, got colic at the age when he should have been in the "fourth trimester". It was interesting to me because it meant that it was less likely to be caused by digestive problems, ds3 had been having breastmilk from birth, and more likely to be a sensory issue.

I have no idea if colic actually exist or not....but I remember always being and when people were almost smug, because I was breastfeeding and my Baby was the worst screamer...like you don't feel shit enough in that situation anyway...but it was this...well...breastmilk can't be that good, and me feeling that my Breastmilk obviously wasn't that great....
not that I regrett breastfeeding...indeed I am still missing it now, and it's been over 2 years since he stopped.

Oh, it exists all right! I have the grey hairs to prove it!

3andnomore, just sending you some big hugs. I have 2 ds's and ds2 was the most fractious, unsettled baby I have ever met. He screamed continuously from 3 weeks until 9 months (ok, he had a heath condition that must have made him feel like absolute rubbish). I was also breastfeeding exclusively and also got the smug looks, so can really sympathise. I too do not regret breastfeeding, as a matter of fact, I carried on until he was 3 (only 3 months ago), but it did really make me doubt myself.

I also walked the floor for hours on end, swaddled, slinged, rocked, bounced and swayed for months and months. I went through so many batteries for the swing and vibrating bouncer that we invested in a battery charger and rechargables. There were plenty of times I had to put him down and walk away though as I could not take anymore. He did not sleep through the night until he was well over 2, slept in our room until he was 19 months. Do I regret ever having him, absolutely not, he's the light of my life. Would I wish it on my worst enemy? NO! Would I have another? Absolutely, in a heartbeat! Maybe time makes you forget slightly? LOL!

Heart...thing you youngest must be the same age as my youngest then He was 3 in August
Maybe if he had been our 2. Baby he wouldn't have put me off Baby's...lol...there is obviously other reasons aswell, why I don't want anymore...like 3 is loads, and all that....
he is actually the sweetest little Boy now...I mean, quite placid and what people consider as "good" (whatever that is)....

Snap! DS2 (was 3 at the end of June) is the sweetest, most loving little chap, such a sweetie and really quite "good". He is hardly any bother now, he will happily entertain himself for hours on end (if I can hold off disturbing him for a cuddle!), I barely know I have him between meals. It's no wonder I look at him now and go "awwww, he's not a baby anymore, I miss having a baby" and then feeling broody. I feel I missed out on the "baby" phase somehow. it passed me by in a blur of never ending floor walking.

aww...I had enough of the nice Babyphase with es and ms...
although, a few weeks ago I actually experienced some Babycuddle induced broodyness, lol...but I just had to remind myself what life with ys was like in the beginning and it soon went

so why do some experts believe colic does not exist??? If it doesn't what is it then?

sheepgirl, I may have this compeltely wrong, but from what I remember...it's because they are not even sure what causes it...i.e. just wind and therefore maybe an under developed gastoenteral tract, or it could be a generally underdevelloped nervous system, hence colic may not actually be cause by wind...etc...

Thing is, it doens't really matter what it is called or what it actually is (although, knowing that would make life easier and help with the cure of the problem, of course....), in the end if you have that unsettled Baby that screams for days on end (as was the case wiht my yougest)...all you want is that the crying stops, lol!

I would have danced naked round a yew tree at full moon if it would have stopped my babies from that desperate screaming.

Hi sheepgirl, colic does exist and is extremely painful and distressing for both baby and mum.... however few babies really suffer from colic.

So much is down to 'mismanagement' of newborns by loving parents.

In many cases sensible GP's will admit this, however, some will persist with the myth and tell you it is colic and 'there isn't much we can do about it' to make you feel better.

Rather than tell you that it's a situation you have brought about by overhandling and overstimulating a newborn.

And so the myth is perpetuated.

Please note, I do not say true colic doesn't exist.

I'm happy to discuss this further on a new thread.

I am interested NoName, so we are not talking transient intolerence to the lactose in milk?

Please tell me more, I would really like to avoid the colic my ds1 suffered (although not badly) with the new baby.

My ds who has Autism had colic as a baby it was only for a few weeks and i gave him infacol for it. Its very distressing to see your baby in so much pain.

Sorry I know this thread has kinda digressed a bit, but back to the point someone made about following the programme up to see how the TK followers grow up to be like, well everyone i know who was bought up in that way, no mollycoddling etc is a very untrusting adult who has problems building social and personal relationships with other adults all because they cannot trust anyone! So that for me sums it up really if you learn not to trust people to give you what you need at 2 weks old that stays with you forever.

Also on the colic topic, my DS had it for at least 12 weeks and the only thing that sothed him was a battery powered swing as someone has already said

I am interested in the suggestion of 'overstimulation' and 'mismanagement' of newborns re colic.

The drawing up of legs and high pitched screaming seems to happen in the early evening at regular times.(My friend wondered whether her DH and DD arriving home & the general increase in noise contributed to her DD2 having a 'stressed' stomach.

I have wondered about the 'feeding on demand' routine trapping wind between undigested feeds, lactose intolerence, over tiredness etc as being culprits, but these are pretty well known. Just wondering if NoName has a few other suggestions.

Hi Izyboy.

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I am a Midwife/General Nurse who also spent many years working as a private maternity nurse, it's experience based on many years in these occupations caring for different babies /parents on which I base my statement re mismanagement and overstimulation

I am also a mother of two and personally know just how devastating it is to have a constantly distressed and crying baby. In my younger daughter's case it was severe otitis media which started at three weeks old. Looking back at that time and know that it is little short of a miracle that my daughter did not become a 'battered' baby.

I would not wish in any way to belittle or deride any parents' concerns where there is genuine illness, nor minimise the trauma of a constantly crying baby, whatever the reason.

I haven't watched the 'baby' programmes or read any of the books.